The Marble Girl
by Ryunn Kazan
Summary: The Gold's travel to the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah where Gideon meets a new friend.


Savannah, Georgia was one of the more unique places the Gold Family had visited on their world travels. Other than Manhattan and Boston, they hadn't traveled much in the states, preferring more exotic places such as Italy and France.

However, when Gideon was old enough to start school, the Gold's decided to shrink their horizon in the states. They returned to Storybrooke so that Gideon could start school with his friends and visit his grandpa Moe.

Finally, summer vacation rolled around and soon enough the Gold's were packed and making their way to Belle's chosen destination: Savannah, Georgia.

Belle spread the pamphlets her husband had gotten from the tourist station onto the bed in the hotel room she and her family were going to be staying in for the next two weeks.

"Can we go to the beach?" Gideon asked excitedly as he bounced on his parent's bed.

Belle gently sat him on the side on the bed and picked up the pamphlet her son was holding.

"Forecast's calling for clouds tomorrow and Sunday." Rumplestiltskin called from the bathroom where he was unpacking the toiletries and disinfecting everything with wipes.

Belle shook her head, knowing the real reason her husband didn't want to go to the beach was due to 1) his hatred of shorts, and 2) his fear of Gideon getting burnt. Her husband could be a bit overprotective sometimes, especially now that Gideon was at the age where he liked to run off on his own.

"We'll save that for when it's nice and sunny." Belle told Gideon, searching through the pamphlet's for something else her son would enjoy. Savannah was overflowing with history and culture and she wanted her family to absorb as much as possible.

"Oh, there's a children's theater not too far from here." Belle read. "They start their season on Wednesday. Their showing The Wizard of Oz."

Rumplestiltskin frowned as he sat beside his wife and son, glaring at the picture of the actress dressed as his green foe.

Belle noticed her husband's discomfort and put it to the side, snatching up the next one.

"Dolphins!" Gideon cheered.

"Savannah's famous for their dolphin tours, and it's right near the beach."

"The rain." Rumplestiltskin reminded her.

Gideon sigh and jumped off the bed to explore.

"Well then Mr. Gold, what do you think we should do?" Belle asked her husband.

"Stay in our apartment and try takeout from every restaurant with a five-star review?"

Belle gave him an amused look and shook her head.

Rumplestiltskin sighed and picked up a pamphlet at random.

"How about a ghost tour? Lot's of history to be seen."

Belle glanced at Gideon who was unpacking some of his toys. "I don't know if Gideon would like that, he might get board or scared."

"He's a brave child Belle. I'm sure he saw worse horrors when he was with the Black—"

"Shh!" Belle shushed him, a clear desperate warning in her eyes. Gideon had been given a second chance at a good life after the Black Fairy's defeat and Belle and Rumplestiltskin had done their best to leave the past behind them. Other than an occasional nightmare that sent the young boy bounding to his parent's room in the dead of night, Gideon had yet to show signs that he remembered his former life. However both parents knew that someday their slice of happily ever after would run thin and Gideon would start to remember. Until then however, they wanted to keep him innocent which mostly meant not mentioning The Black Fairy out of fear her name may trigger something.

A pamphlet at the bottom of the pile caught Rumplestiltskin's eye. He picked it up and browsed through the contents, smiling as an idea came to him.

"What are you planning?" Belle inquired mischievously.

Rumple showed her the pamphlet and Belle's smiled dimmed lightly.

"Bonaventure Cemetery? That's a bit grim Rumple, and only slightly less worrisome than a ghost tour."

"Ah, but we can go on our own time. No tours, no guide shoving us along, and there's an area near the river where we could have a picnic."

Belle smiled. Other than bookstores, family picnics were her guilty pleasures.

"I suppose that would be a fun way to spend the day, but you'll have to dress down."

Rumplestiltskin sighed in annoyance, but if he'd have to lay down his suited armor for a day with his family then so be it.

"Gideon!" Belle called to her son. "How would you like to go on a picnic tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" Gideon cheered.

-,-,-,-,-

The next morning Belle snuck to the grocery store to pick up a few things for the picnic. By the time she got back Gideon was jumping on the bed trying to wake his father.

"Come on Papa get up!" Gideon exclaimed.

Rumplestiltskin grumbled and hid his head under the pillow. Gideon crawled over to sit on his chest, trying to pull the pillow off his papa's head. Suddenly Rumplestiltskin jumped up, wrapping the blanket around Gideon and smothering him in a cocoon of warmth.

Belle smiled as father and son played and regretted having to break them up.

A few hours later Belle and Gideon were unpacking the car while Rumple went into the main office for a map and pamphlet.

"Can we have the picnic now?" Gideon asked when his father returned.

Rumplestiltskin chuckled and soothed the boy's hair. "Let's walk around a bit son, work off that cereal you ate for breakfast."

Gideon shrugged and began to trot ahead, a task his father had cleverly hindered by filling his little backpack with a heavy bottle of water and other essentials.

Belle read through the map and squealed when she saw the location of Conrad Aiken's grave.

"I love his poems! We have to go see it!"

"My dear wife is excited to see the rock of a dead man?"

"A notable man, thank you Mr. Gold." Belle corrected with a kiss on his lips.

Gideon watched the exchange with an eye roll. Sometimes his parents kissed too much.

Within the next few hours the Golds saw a great deal of Bonaventure Cemetery, though they had yet to find the poet's Conrad Aiken's grave. Still they found several other interesting figures such as Edythe Chapman, an actress that Rumplestiltskin recalled seeing in a few films of during his curse years. And though neither of the Golds knew much about the history of this world or the events that led to its wars and slaughters, they took their time to pay their respects in the Jewish and Veteran sections.

Gideon was becoming restless so Belle and Rumplestiltskin found the rest area and unpacked the lunch.

"I think we passed it." Belle sighed as she searched through the map.

"We'll find it Belle." Rumplestiltskin assured as he picked the crust off a sandwich.

Belle shook her head in frustration. "We must have walked right by it. I've read elvish text that made more sense than this!"

Rumplestiltskin leaned over to assist his wife, leaving Gideon out of his parent's eyesight for the first time that day. Gideon promised himself he wouldn't wonder off far as his parents always got upset when he did. He was just so bored! He liked being with his mama and papa and a lot of the statues around the cemetery were cool, but there was nothing much to do butwalk. He wished his parents had taken him on one of those tours; there was always another kid to play with on those.

Gideon continued on, kicking rocks and dragging his backpack, wishing there was at least a swing set nearby.

A sound caught the young boy's attention. It sounded like sniffling. Who would be crying in the middle of a cemetery? He looked around when something white caught his eye. Straight ahead, hidden by a cluster of headstones, was a little girl hidden behind a gate.

Curious, Gideon sent one last glance towards his parents before he walked forward.

As he got closer, Gideon discovered that it wasn't a little girl at all—well, it technically was, but it was a statue of one. But statues don't cry, right?

Gideon looked at the statue girl more closely, wondering why they would need to keep her in a gate like this. In front of the gate was a large stone and around the stone were all kinds of treasures: pretty little rocks, pennies, hair clips and lots of little toys.

"L-little G-Gr-a-cie. Little Gracie?" Gideon read (his mama had taught him to read).

"Y-yes?"

Gideon looked up and through the gate a little girl peaked out from behind the statue.

Gideon gasped; she looked just like the statue.

"Are…are you Little Gracie?" Gideon inquired.

The little girl nodded, stepping closer to the gate that separated the two children.

"Why are you inside the gate?" Gideon asked.

"I can't leave." She pointed up and Gideon turned to see that the gate was locked.

"Then how did you get in there? Where are your mom and dad?"

Little Gracie shook her head, tears building in her eyes again.

Gideon grimaced, not sure how to deal with a crying child. There was always an adult around to deal with them.

"I…can go get my mom and dad." Gideon suggested.

"No don't go!" Little Gracie cried, reaching out for him through the gate.

Gideon gasped when her hand went right through his.

"You're the first person that's talked to me in so long. You can see and hear me…that's never happened before!"

"I…you're a ghost!" Gideon jumped back.

"I…I'm…" tears ran down the little girl's cheeks and Gideon's remorse outweighed his fear and confusion.

"I'm sorry. Don't cry. My names Gideon."

Little Gracie nodded, wiping her eyes. "Are you a ghost too?"

"No…at least I don't think so. My mom and dad are vacationing here."

Little Gracie sat on the grass and Gideon copied her. "Where are you from?"

"Storybrooke. It's in Maine."

For the first time, Little Gracie smiled. "I remember seeing Maine on a map once in my papa's study. It was close to where we lived in Boston."

"I've been to Boston!" Gideon said excitedly. "My papa goes to a lot of yard sales. He brings home tons of weird stuff, but staying in a hotel is fun."

"My papa ran a hotel." Little Gracie said sadly. "I used to sing and dance for the guests. It was a lot of fun."

"How did you…" Gideon paused, wondering exactly what the right etiquette one was supposed to display to a ghost. Asking "how did you die?" seemed rude in Gideon's opinion.

"How did you get here?" he asked instead.

Little Gracie picked at the grass. "I don't remember. Mama and me were cutting out paper eggs for easter…but I got sick. Mama was sad and Papa wouldn't stop crying."

Gideon swallowed, suddenly wishing his parents were by his side.

"Then I woke up in front of this statue of me, and I've been here waiting for mama and papa. I've been waiting a long time."

Gideon looked around, wondering just how far away her parents were buried.

"Maybe I could find them for you." Gideon perked up, leaning closer to the gate. "I can find them and take you to them."

"But I can't leave the gate."

"My papa can help." Gideon assured. "He can figure out anything."

Little Gracie hesitated before sticking her hand out of the gate, arching her pinkie.

"Okay Gideon."

Gideon arched his pinkie as well, unsure just what would happen when he made a deal via pinkie-promise with a ghost.

Their fingers met and Gideon gasped. His finger didn't faze through hers like before. He could feel her cold finger intertwined with his.

"Gideon!"

Gideon shot around at the sound of his mama's frantic voice. He dropped Little Gracie's finger and jumped up, forgetting his new friend for a moment while he located his worried parents.

"Over here mama!" Gideon called out.

Belle and Rumplestiltskin suddenly appeared over the hill and sprinted towards him.

"Gideon are you alright?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

Belle scooped the boy into her arms, smothering his response.

"Oh my baby." Belle cried.

Gideon managed to wiggle out of his mama's grip to answer (and breathe).

"I'm fine mama."

"You know better to run off like that son." Rumplestiltskin chastised. "You scared your mama and papa to death."

Gideon lowered his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."

Belle sighed, her soft hands searching his face. "I think that's enough adventuring for today. Let's go home."

"Wait!" Gideon exclaimed, wiggling from his mother's firm grip. "I have to help…"

Gideon stared at the gate housing Little Gracie's statue. Just the statue.

Little Gracie was gone.

-,-,-,-,-,-

Gideon's parents had calmed by dinner time. They ordered in a pizza and settled for bed rather early. Instead of one of the storybooks Gideon had brought with him, Gideon asked that his mama read through one of the pamphlets they'd gotten from the office at the cemetery.

"That's her!" Gideon exclaimed, pointing to a picture of Little Gracie's statue. "That's the girl I talked to in the graveyard!"

Belle yawned. "It was just a statue honey, you imagined her."

"No mama!" Gideon insisted. "I talked to her. She can't find her parents and she can't leave the gate."

Belle was tired from the long day, and doing her best to stay patient with her son. "Gideon, sometimes…when circumstances are a certain way, people can imagine things. Really vivid things that seem so real at the time but just aren't. You were hot and tired so when you saw the Little Gracie statue you imagined her."

"Your mother's right son." Rumplestiltskin agreed as he exited the bathroom. "You come from a family of great minds. It's only natural you have an extensive imagination."

Gideon frowned, losing his patience with his family. "She was real. And…I promised her I'd help her."

Belle sighed and turned her tired eyes to her husband for help.

"How about this:" Rumplestiltskin negotiated, "How about you get some sleep, and if you still think Little Gracie is real, we'll go back by the cemetery and…see what we can do."

"That's right." Belle smiled, climbing off Gideon's bed. "But you need to sleep. Now, please."

Gideon sighed. Adults were so difficult. Still, he bid his parents goodnight and promised himself that he'd go back tomorrow for Little Gracie.

But, as most children tend to do, Gideon's young mind became cluttered with other delights. The following morning his parents surprised him with a dolphin tour and the ghost of little Gracie slipped his mind.

His parents as well brushed it off. Though they came from a world of magic and mayhem, the paranormal was just too much of a stretch for their practical but opened minds to wrap around. And honestly, both wanted to wait until Gideon was older before they exposed him to too much of his heritage.

-,-,-,-

The Gold's family trip in Savannah came and went and Little Gracie was apparently forgotten.

Until just after Gideon's eighteenth birthday when memories of his old life began to resurface.

It started off with night terror so intense that he was too sick to go to school, followed by flashbacks that would leave him in a state of panic.

Rumplestiltskin and Belle finally told him everything: the tension between his parents that led Belle to send him away, the Black Fairy taking him and raising him under her maniacal reign, him being reverted back into an infant upon her defeat, and finally his parent's trying to give him the best life possible after their mistakes.

Gideon wasn't angry at his parents, and was relieved that the things he had seen had an explanation. With their help he began putting the pieces of his past life back together and all began to return to normal.

Until the day the Gold family began to make their summer plans and Gideon was hit with a horrifying vision that shattered the recovering boy's state of being.

Belle had brought down their extensive pile of pamphlets so that they could remanence as they made a decision. The Golds had been around the entire world and had yet to visit the same place twice, but now that Gideon had graduated and was leaving for college soon, they wanted one last trip to one of their favorite destinations. The problem was that they had had so many.

"How about Italy?" Rumplestiltskin suggested. "We all speak fluent Italian, why not put it to the test?"

"I like the sound of that." Belle agreed. "You were only three when we took you there, Gideon."

Gideon nodded, rifling slowly through the pamphlets. To be quite honest, Gideon wanted nothing more than to stay in Storybrooke for the summer and do absolutely nothing. He was exhausted from dealing with the visions of his past life and didn't want to go somewhere where more visions could be triggered. However, this was his last summer at home and he wanted to do something special and memorable with his parents.

His fingers grazed the smooth pamphlets, some now wrinkled with age while some remained as crisp as the day his mother plucked them from the tourist stations. His parents had done their best to give him a life full of adventure and magic. He saw places that most people his age would never see, and made beautiful memories from all of them. He wished that they were the only memories swimming around his mind.

He picked up one of the pamphlets at random, flipping through it without seeing where it was from.

His eyes fell on a mass of gravestones and he froze, the familiar buzzing of a flashback rattling his brain.

"Wait."

Belle and Rumplestiltskin looked up, both tensing when they saw the distant, horrified look on their boy's face.

"No!" Gideon screamed. "Mother please don't!"

Rumplestiltskin moved to his side, ready to catch and restrain him.

Suddenly Gideon shot back, the pamphlet sailing from his hand and skidding across the room.

"No!" Gideon sobbed, his eyes darting around the room. "No no no…"

Belle ran to his side, pulling him to her arms. "It's okay baby, it's over."

"He's gone!" Gideon sobbed.

Rumplestiltskin pulled his family into the protective circle of his arms. "Who is, Gideon?"

"…Roderick…" Gideon cried, shaking his head. "She killed him just because she was angry at me. He wasn't supposed to die…he's gone."

Belle swallowed hard, remembering hazily when her husband mentioning this Roderick. They still didn't know the entire story about him and their son, but now it would seem that he had a greater impact on Gideon than they had formerly proclaimed.

"I'm sorry son." Rumplestiltskin said, kissing the top of the boy's head. "I'm so sorry you had to remember that."

Gideon took several deep therapeutic breaths, feeling strained but safe in his parent's arms even as the memory of Roderick's last moments flickered through his mind. He looked to the side, trying to focus on something else when the pamphlet he threw came into view.

Gideon began to panic when the buzzing returned. He couldn't handle another flashback right now. But it came anyway and Gideon grabbed hold of his parents.

The vision that came wasn't even close to as terrifying as the one before. It was pleasant. He remembered walking through a cemetery and gawking at the impressive statues, his parents holding each of his hands. He remembered the picnic, and the boredom that caused him to stray from his parents, and finally, the little girl behind the gate.

"Gracie." Gideon gasped, the memory of his promise hitting him like a ton of bricks. He tore from his parents protective arms and crawled to the Bonaventure pamphlet, searching through it until he came across the picture of Little Gracie Watson's memorial.

"What is it son?"

Gideon turned back to his parents, his gaze lost and confused.

"I broke a promise."

"Honey, it wasn't your fault." Belle tried to reassure. "The Black Fairy—"

"No," Gideon shook his head. "Not to Roderick, to Gracie. I promised her I'd help her find her parents but…"

Belle and Rumplestiltskin looked at each other, their eyes widening when they realized what their son was referring to.

"Gideon, that was just…an imaginary friend."

"I thought so to, but it wasn't. She was real. She came to me and asked for my help. And I just **forgot** about her."

"Sweetie…"

"Mom, Dad, I know there's a lot in this world we don't understand, but isn't it possible that there are things here that are more real here than from where we're from?"

Belle smiled at her son. "I suppose so."

Gideon looked back at the picture of Little Gracie, the poor little girl who couldn't move on. "Maybe it was because of magic that she was able to talk to me. Maybe I can help her now that I'm stronger."

Belle turned to her husband who shrugged. He was still far from a believer of the paranormal, but his son needed his support. He wouldn't fail him again.

"What do you need us to do?"

Gideon smiled at his parents, grateful to tears for their love. But he frowned worriedly. "I don't know where to start."

Belle walked up to him and gently took the pamphlet from his hands. "How about you go lie down while I make some calls?"

Gideon wanted to decline, but he was tired, and his plan would be sloppy if he wasn't in the right state of mind.

For the first time in months, Gideon slept peacefully without guilt or horrors clawing at his dreams.

-,-,-,-

One week later, the Gold family ventured into the Bonaventure Cemetery, information on Gracie's parents in Belle's purse and the device that would take Gracie to them in Rumplestiltskin's suit pocket.

Gideon hadn't stopped fidgeting since his mother had dug up the information on Little Gracie's parents.

"They worked at a hotel in Savannah where Gracie's charm was the main attraction." Belle read. "After her death, her parents returned to Boston. The Mother died in 1913 and the father followed six years later. They were buried in Albany, New York." Belle frowned sadly. "No wonder the poor child isn't at rest. She's so far away from her parents."

"What kind of a man has a statue made of his child but then moves 1000 miles from them?" Rumplestiltskin grumbled.

"Don't judge them Rumple." Belle chastised. "They were grieving. It mustn't have been easy tending to their only child's grave. They must have meant to come back."

Gideon took his mother's hand. "I'm sure they did mom."

Rumplestiltskin sighed, deciding not to press the issue any further. "Well, we know where they are now, now I just have to find a spell that can move Gracie to them."

Gideon raised an curious eyebrow. "I don't think we can…dig her up dad. That's gruesome and just wrong."

"Her body, I'm afraid, would no longer be salvageable. It's her spirit we'll have to transport. Come with me to the library."

Belle and Gideon followed, both uneasy at the idea of Rumplestiltskin using magic for something this painstaking.

Rumplestiltskin led them to the library and climbed the ladder to one of the top shelves were some of Belle's least-read books were.

"After the Black Fairy's defeat," Rumplestiltskin stated, "I began hiding some of my more dangerous artifacts in places any future enemies would be less inclined to look." He found what he was looking for and retreated down the ladder, turning to show his family the object in question.

Belle cocked one of her hips in disapproval. "You've been using Pandora's box as a paperweight for my books?"

Rumplestiltskin smiled sheepishly. "It did its job."

"But will it work?" Gideon inquired. "And…is it safe? Is there something in there that could hurt her?"

Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "I was in this thing once, but I saw nothing in there that could be harmful. It's more of prison than anything. And as a spirit…"

Gideon nodded, but looked forward to the moment Little Gracie would be out of that thing for good.

"I guess now we order the plane tickets?"

"On it." Belle stated. "Coach fine with everyone?"

After a lengthy wait and a near-severe disturbance from airport security, the Golds were on their way back to Savannah, Georgia, a trip that was now more unnerving than mystical for the family.

The next day they were making their way through the lines of gravestones looking for the famed grave of Gracie Watson. Belle and Rumplestiltskin noted that their son was looking increasingly pale and were both ready to call this thing off and take their boy somewhere to rest.

Suddenly, Gideon stopped, a small smile spreading over his face. "There she is."

Belle and Rumplestiltskin followed their son to the black gate entrapping Little Gracie's statue. The toys and other treasures that had once decorated her grave were gone, and Gideon wondered who would take such offerings from a child's grave.

"Gracie?" Gideon whispered through the gate. "Gracie are you there?"

Belle and Rumple watched their son warily, wondering now if this truly was just Gideon's mind playing tricks on him.

"Gracie." Gideon said. "I know I…I didn't come back. I'm so sorry. I thought you weren't real and I just let you go. But I'm back now! I'm going to keep our promise. I'm going to take you home."

Gideon received no response and just stared at the statue until his mother placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Honey, let's go back to the hotel." She soothed. "Maybe…maybe we can try again tomorrow."

Gideon's grip tightened on the gate bars. He knew that tone. It was her "forget about this Gideon" tone.

"No." Gideon fought, pulling from her grip. "I can't leave her waiting again."

With that, he began pulling at the gate, and then the lock until his father grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Son stop this before someone sees!"

Gideon forced himself from his father's grip and made another go at the gate, this time grabbing a hold of it and jumping to the other side.

Belle covered her mouth and searched around to make sure they hadn't been seen. It was getting late and security would be coming around any moment now.

Gideon came face to face with the statue, seeing the cracks and blemishes 200 years of weather had put on Gracie's form.

"Gracie…" Gideon begged. He was so tired. "Please. Let me help you."

A sound in the bushes caused Gideon to jump. Something had moved behind the statue. He eased carefully behind the stone and froze at what he saw.

"Gracie?"

The little girl moved further away until she was pressed into the corner of the gate.

"It's okay." Gideon soothed, having to swallow tears of relief. "It's me, Gideon."

"G-Gideon? You're so big now…"

"Yeah." Gideon knelt to her level, reaching for her small hand. "I'm sorry I was away for so long."

Little Gracie hesitated but soon carefully reached for Gideon's hands. Gideon gasped when her cold fingers touched his own.

"Gideon!" Rumplestiltskin hissed.

"Who's that?" Gracie whispered uneasily.

"My dad." Gideon answered. "He and my mom are going to help you find your parents."

"You mean it?" Gracie gasped.

Gideon nodded. "I pinkie-promised didn't I?"

Belle and Rumplestiltskin watched as their son crouched behind Little Gracie's statue. He needed to get out of there now.

With a growl Rumplestiltskin dug his lock-picking kit from his pocket and began to pick at the gate lock.

"We are all going to jail." Belle muttered.

Just as the lock was cooperating, Gideon stepped out from behind the statue and, to his parents shock, pulled a little girl out with him.

Rumplestiltskin dropped his lock pick and ran to his wife's side. "What on earth…"

Gideon smiled. "Mother, Father, this is Gracie. Gracie, these are my parents."

"Hi." Gracie greeted quietly.

Rumplestiltskin and Belle waved uncertainly, both not quite believing what they were seeing.

Gideon led Gracie closer. The moment Belle saw her large, sad eyes her motherly instincts kicked in and she knelt to the child's level.

"Hello sweetheart." Belle greeted. "It's nice to meet you."

Little Gracie managed a smile. Very few could not be flattered by the charm of Belle French-Gold. Her eyes turned to Rumplestiltskin next. He looked scary but he had kind eyes like Gideon.

Rumplestiltskin managed a small smile for the sake of the child's comfort. "Yes. Now let's see about getting this gate unlocked."

Little Gracie took a step back as Rumplestiltskin finished with the lock and pulled the heavy chain off the gate, opening in and extinguishing the barrier between the mortals and the spirit.

Gideon stepped out first, patiently waiting as Gracie took her tentative steps into the open. Soon she was by Gideon's side again and somehow seemed to have just a bit more color to her cheeks.

"You're doing great." Gideon encouraged.

Gracie nodded. "Can I see my parents now?"

Gideon crouched to her level. "You see Gracie, your parents are in a faraway place." He explained. "We're going to get you to them, but we need you to be as brave as you can, because this next part may be a little scary."

Gracie nodded. She wasn't afraid. Well, she had been a little scared when she got sick but…

Gideon nodded to his father who pulled Pandora's Box out.

"This is a magical box." Rumplestiltskin explained. "We can put you in here and take you to your parents without you getting hurt."

Little Gracie tilted her head. "How am I going to get in there?"

"That's the magical part." Rumplestiltskin winked. "Are you ready?"

Gracie looked to Gideon. "You're really taking me to them?"

Gideon nodded. "Yeah. We're on our way."

Gracie reached out and wrapped her small arms around Gideon's neck. Gideon tensed. She felt almost warmer.

"Everything's going to be okay."

The two separated and Gideon stepped away, allowing his father to secure Gracie in Pandora's Box.

"Okay." Rumplestiltskin said when it was complete.

Belle wiped her eyes. "To New York then?"

"Yes, we'll get tickets in the morning then-"

"Hey!"

The Golds shot around to see a security guard bounding towards them.

"What do you think you're doing?"

They glanced back to the open gate and tensed.

"Oh no…"

-.-.-

After bribing the security handsomely (in which Belle's charm once again came in handy), Rumplestiltskin ushered his family back to the hotel.

They were up at dawn and on the flight to Albany, New York by noon. Gideon had managed to get Pandora's Box onto the flight with less fuss from security than last time.

His parents were happy that he was calmer now that the first part of their journey was over, but there was still this look of guilt in his eyes. Because he was anxious enough, they decided not to push him into a conversation about his feelings.

The following day they were checking into their hotel room and looking up instructions for the famed Albany Rural Cemetery.

"Are we there yet?" Gideon sighed.

Belle snorted. "Almost dear. Section 105 is just up ahead."

Rumplestiltskin looked around. There weren't many tourists out in the heat thankfully, but they still had to be careful not to attract too much attention.

"Here they are." Belle said at last. "Wales J Watson (1856 -1919) and Margaret Frances Watson (1856 -1913)."

"We found them Gracie." Gideon whispered to the box. "You're almost home."

Rumplestiltskin looked around as if he were expecting the Watsons to suddenly appear.

"Do you…see them?" Belle asked Gideon.

Gideon looked around, trying to sense them or something that could bring them to him. But he could. Gracie had revealed herself to him because she felt safe near a fellow child. Her parents didn't know him as an adult.

"No, but maybe they'll appear if Gracie's here."

Rumplestiltskin nodded and took the box from his son. Belle moved to Gideon's side.

Little Gracie appeared in a flurry of light and gasped, blinking several times to adjust to her new surroundings.

"Gideon!" she cheered.

"Hey Gracie." Gideon greeted, kneeling to her level.

Gideon jogged up to him, turning one of her bright smiles to Belle and Rumplestiltskin. "Did you find them? Did you find my parents?"

Gideon glanced at the two graves behind her. They were barren and unkept and Gideon suddenly wondered if they had moved on long ago, hoping their daughter would be on the other side.

"I…"

"Gracie?"

The Gold's and Little Gracie shot around to see two people standing at the Watson's graves. They were as pale as Gracie and in the same style of clothing as her.

The man stepped forward, his eyes wide and glassy with tears. "Is it truly you? My Little Gracie?"

"Papa!"

Belle covered her mouth as she watched Little Gracie bound into her sobbing father's arms.

"Oh my sweet angel." He sobbed. "You're finally here…"

Gideon stood and stepped back to stand beside his parents. His mother couldn't contain her tears of joy and his father was comforting her; and though he would deny it later, there were tears of joy in his own eyes. Years ago he would have been tearing apart families like this, but now he was putting one back together.

Mrs. Watson looked up at the Golds, staring at them in such awe like they were angels. Her eyes seemed to focus on Belle the most, a fellow mother who traveled across the states just to reunite a stranger with their child.

"Thank you." She said. Two little words that lifted centuries of a mother's grief and pain and vanished them into thin air.

Belle nodded.

"Let's go home." Mr. Watson said when he composed himself. "We can go now…"

"Where are we going Papa?" Little Gracie asked when she took her parents hands.

"To the greatest hotel in heaven." Mr. Watson stated.

The Gold's watched as the Watson's began to travel to what could only be the afterlife. Eternal happiness for the family.

"Wait!" Gideon called out suddenly.

The Watson's paused, turning to Gideon.

"There's um..." Gideon swallowed hard. "There's this boy over there. He has blue eyes and brown hair." Gideon quickly wiped away a stray tear. "His name is Roderick. If you see him over there…could you..." He paused to steady his breathing. "Could you tell him Gideon said sorry…and that I miss him?"

Little Gracie tilted her head curiously and glanced up to her father as if he had the answer.

"We'll tell him." Mr. Watson smiled.

"Thank you." Gideon sighed, feeling like he could breathe for the first time in so long. "Thank you so much."

"Bye Gideon!" Little Gracie called out, unwilling to let go of her parent's hands now that she finally had them in her own again.

The Golds watched them until they vanished. The air was different now, less dense and more breathable. For a moment there was no heat or irritation but just a consuming feeling of peace among the wee family.

Rumplestiltskin placed a hand on his son's shoulder and pulled him into his and Belle's arm.

"I'm so proud of you Gideon." Belle said. "My brave hero."

Gideon smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you. Either of you."

Rumplestiltskin separated from the family hug but kept his arms around them as he led them from the cemetery.

"Well, now that we're temporarily banned from Savannah, Georgia and possibly the Hilton airport, where do you want to go next?"

Belle and Gideon laughed.

"I honestly wouldn't mind going home and sleeping for the next week." Belle said.

"Sounds like a winner to me." Gideon agreed.

Rumplestiltskin pulled his keys from his pocket. "Home it is then."

-,-,-,-,-,-,-

For the full story of Little Gracie Watson go to:

/savannah/historic-people/little-gracie/


End file.
